Heathrow among slew of European airports hit with cyber attack as flights delayed and cancelled

London Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin airports are all experiencing delays and disruption following the "technical issue" affecting Collins Aerospace, which works for several airlines at multiple airports across the world.

Taking to X, Heathrow, where more than 200 flights have been delayed, said: "Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.

"While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling.

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"Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight. Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption.

"We apologise for any inconvenience."

Collins Aerospace said: "We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our MUSE software in select airports. We are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible.

"The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations. We will share more details as they are available."

One Heathrow passenger said she “broke down in tears” after being shouted at by staff at Heathrow Airport amid long queues.

Helen Steel, 49, who was trying to fly home with KLM to Oslo via Amsterdam with a cat named Thomas, said her experience at the airport had been an “absolute nightmare”.

Speaking at a crowded Terminal 4, Ms Steel said: “I started travelling this morning at 3am from Dorset, and they knew about the cyber attack yesterday and didn’t tell us.

“If they just told us that there was a cyber attack, I wouldn’t have travelled up here.“I’ve got an animal here, so I’m very concerned about his welfare.

“I’ve been shouted at twice and I broke down in tears because I was worried about him.

“None of us have had any information whatsoever. Whenever we ask ground staff, they shout at us.“They tell us to call customer service – I’ve spent about two hours in a queue on the telephone. I then finally got through to somebody and they put the phone down on me.

“It’s another three hours to get back home and then come back up again if they find a new flight, so now I must go look for a hotel, but I’m still stuck in this queue.”

A National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) spokesman said: “We are working with Collins Aerospace and affected UK airports, alongside Department for Transport and law enforcement colleagues, to fully understand the impact of an incident.

“All organisations are urged to make use of the NCSC’s free guidance, services and tools to help reduce the chances of a cyber attack and bolster their resilience in the face of online threats.”

Brussels and Berlin airports have also confirmed flights have been disrupted, warning passengers to check with their airline before travelling.

Brussels Airport confirmed automated check-in systems have completely failed, meaning only manual check-ins are currently available.

"This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will, unfortunately, cause delays and cancellations of flights," the check-in operator said.

"The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible."

"Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution," Berlin Airport added on its website.

Frankfurt Airport has confirmed it is not affected by the incident.

Some reports have suggested Russia may have been involved in the cyber attack, although this is yet to be confirmed.

Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: “After the flagrant violation of Estonian airspace, the Government needs to urgently establish if Vladimir Putin is now attacking our cyber systems.

“If the Kremlin is behind this attack, causing chaos at our busiest airport, we need to be firm in our response."